


Avatar Niella Book Five: Peace

by SeaSpectre160



Series: Avatar Niella [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Maiko - Relationship - Freeform, Sukka - Relationship - Freeform, mentions of Kataang - Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-06-02 14:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6570652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaSpectre160/pseuds/SeaSpectre160
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The time has come for the final battle between the forces of good and evil. Will the new Avatar master the Avatar State in time?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Brewing Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, welcome back to the Avatar Niella universe, after so many years. Here is the final Book in the series, 'Peace'. It took me so long just to get past the first Chapter, but eventually (with help from binge-watching Legend of Korra) I got back into the Avatar mindset and have finally completed the series. Thanks to all of you for your patience, and I hope you like this one. I recommend you at least re-read the last Chapter of Book Four, because we're picking up right where that one left off.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender

“Quin, I have something to tell you. I’m pregnant.”

Quin stared in shock as those unexpected words were said to him by his… girlfriend. Okay, so he wasn’t so sure if he should be considering her his girlfriend. Their relationship was complicated and he wasn’t quite certain about what they were to each other. But that wasn’t his biggest concern at the moment.

“Y-you’re what?” he stuttered, still not completely finished processing what she’d said.

Tae Xing smiled just a bit. “I’m going to have a baby. Your baby.” Her smile faded just as quickly as it had appeared. “You’re not upset, are you? I mean, I never saw this coming, either, but…” Tears began to form in her eyes.

Quin, unable to bear seeing her cry, pulled her back to him, holding her tightly. “I’m not upset,” he insisted, “Worried, maybe, and nervous, but not upset. I won’t leave your side again, I promise. You and me, we’re going to make it through this, and we’ll take care of our baby.”

At that, Tae Xing stood on her toes and kissed him, throwing her arms around her neck. Quin couldn’t believe he was actually going to be a father, and his child’s mother was the love of his life, undoubtedly.

“Um, I hate to break up the happy moment,” Chief Sokka interrupted, “But I don’t think it’ll be that simple.” The pair drew apart, but only partially, staying in each other’s arms. “For one thing, I doubt the Earth King will approve of this.”

“I don’t care,” Tae Xing declared, “He doesn’t know me, and he certainly doesn’t own me. If he has a problem with whom I choose to love, then that’s his opinion. But it’s not my problem.”

Sokka sighed. “I know, I know. But you still have to figure out how to make this work. Believe me, I’m not going to stand between you two, and not because it’s none of my business, but maybe you should at least talk to your father about it. Tell him how you feel. As far as any of us know, he genuinely thinks you’ll be perfectly happy to get married to that other kid. He doesn’t know any other way of life besides aristocracy and arranged marriage. As far as he’s concerned, it’s what’s best for you, so you need to show him that it’s not. Give him a chance to understand.”

Tae Xing’s jade eyes fell to the ground. Quin recalled how, at the South Pole and on the _Hakoda_ , she’d worried that her father neither knew her nor loved her. This idea of talking to him about it had clearly never occurred to her.

“I can try,” she whispered, rubbing one hand over her stomach. Quin pulled her tighter to him, stroking her shoulder with his thumb. “My _ex_ -fiancé won’t be a problem, at least. He knows I’m in love with someone else; so is he, actually.”

Quin knelt down to Kichona’s level, gently pulling Tae Xing down with him. “What do you think, Kichona? You’re gonna have a baby cousin.”

Her little brown eyes widened, and she proke into a smile, nodding and looking shyly at Tae Xing. The princess smiled nervously. She didn’t have any real experience with small children.

While the three of them had their little reunion, Sokka turned to his men and the troops sent with him by the Earth King. “Most of these people here are in rough shape. Treat the wounded as best as you can, and make sure they get food and water as needed.” He looked around at the hell-pit still full of half-starving slaves. Many were already being tended to, especially the children.

Children. Azula had been using _children_ for slave labour. Some were the same age as his own daughters. It made him sick to his stomach. As if reading his thoughts, Suki squeezed his hand. He pulled her closer, his blood running cold as he took in the cuts and bruises on her own body. “We are _not_ splitting up until this war is over,” he declared, softly enough that only she could hear it, “Our girls need their mother, and I need you.”

* * *

Zuko sighed in relief as the message was read to him. Suki was okay, Ty Lee was hurt but _alive_ and would recover, and half of the Black Phoenix prisoners had been found. Many soldiers who had only been fighting because of their loved ones being held hostage had deserted, leaving Azula’s ranks heavily diminished. This war might just end before it got out of hand.

The Fire Nation was still unstable, even twenty years after Zuko took the throne. There were still factions that Ozai be reinstated (and after his death a few years back, his ‘true heir’ Azula), colonists who were furious at having to give back their stolen land, and those who’d made money off of the war effort.

In other words, the last thing this country needed was more conflict.

Unfortunately, the good news was followed by bad news mere hours later. Notifications began coming in of small groups bearing the Black Phoenix crest, each marching towards the Fire Nation capital from a different direction. They appeared to be comprised mostly of firebenders, from what the scouts were saying, and were burning down villages, crops, and people in their path. But what was most worrying was that blue flame had been spotted coming from at least three different groups.

Zuko didn’t know how Azula could appear to be in multiple places at once, but he had three messenger hawks sent off: one to Ba Sing Se, one to Hahn’s successor in the North, and one to Omashu, where Sokka was reported to be heading.

Whatever Azula’s endgame was, it looked like it would be going down here.

* * *

It took them a few days to regroup at Omashu. Most of the prisoners of the Chin Village camp were being sent back to their homes, though the ones in the direst need of medical care had been brought along with them. Forces from the Northern Water Tribe had already arrived, along with their best Healers, who immediately got to work alongside Katara and the local doctors to treat the sick and the injured. Niella was heavily relieved to learn that Ty Lee would eventually make a full recovery.

Toph had taken Tae Xing, Quin, and Kichona back to Ba Sing Se. Niella didn’t envy them what would be awaiting them: one _very_ angry Earth King who could easily strip Toph of her rank and possibly put her in prison for helping the princess run away. And there was no telling what he would do to Quin once he found out that the firebender had gotten his daughter pregnant.

When they got to Omashu, Uncle Sokka quickly broke off to talk with the successors of Hahn and King Bumi. Niella was recruited by her mother and the other Healers, running around and doing whatever she could to help. A lot if it involved talking to the rescued prisoners; a few words of comfort and encouragement from the Avatar seemed to go a long way in giving them hope.

Three days later, more people joined them: reinforcements from the Southern Water Tribe. Niella was overjoyed to see more familiar faces and more helping hands, but she was hoping to find one or two particular people.

As it stood, those two people wound up finding her. Aleikka tackled her in a hug while she was searching the crowd for them, and Haeno was right behind her, though he declined to join in on the tackling.

“Oh, thank the Spirits you’re here!” Niella gasped, “I missed you two!”

“Like we were going to just stay at home and let you fight this all on your own!” Aleikka argued playfully, still hanging on, “Even if you did take off without saying goodbye!”

Niella bit her lip, finally managing to get Aleikka off her back so that she could face her and Haeno properly. “I’m _so_ sorry, guys!” she apologised, “But it was an emergency. I didn’t have time to tell anyone goodbye!”

“We know,” Haeno assured her, “The Fire Lord’s ship was still docked when we arrived, and he explained it. We’re just glad you’re alright.” He looked worried. “People were saying you fought Azula herself.”

The memory sent a shiver up her spine. “I did. It was terrifying. She had me on the ropes the entire time; I couldn’t go on the offensive at all. I only survived because I- I went into the Avatar State.”

Aleikka gasped and sat down on a random nearby crate. “Seriously?! What was it like?!”

Niella wrapped her arms around herself. “Scary. I was so confused, especially when Avatar Aang suddenly talking to me.”

“Avatar Aang?!”

“Yeah, we’ve been rather surreal, but I guess ‘surreal’ is supposed to be normal for Avatars. But yeah, he told me that if I died while in the Avatar State, there would be no more Avatars after me, and the Cycle would end. And even before that, it felt like my body was moving on its own; I had no control, and I don’t even remember what happened after that, but everyone tells me I threw Azula’s own fire back at her and forced her to retreat.”

Both her friends were staring at her in awe. “That’s… incredible,” Haeno breathed, gently taking her hands, “Are you sure you’re doing okay?”

Niella took a shaky breath and squeezed his hands back. “I’m dealing with it,” she assured him, “It hasn’t been easy, and I still have nightmares sometimes, but I know I need to beat this. I have to, if I want to be able to win against Azula.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter:
> 
> Haeno and Niella have a very personal talk, and Tae Xing has a much-needed one with her father.


	2. Heartaches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender or any of its characters

Haeno found her after nightfall, on the edge of the camp the Water Tribe reinforcements had set up. Everyone else was inside the tents, or elsewhere in the city, so it was just the two of them. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chin, her arms wrapped loosely around her legs as she stared up at the waning moon. He didn’t say anything, just placed a bowl of steaming tea next to her, since it was getting chilly out. She looked over at him, smiled softly, picked it up, and took a sip. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“No problem. You’ve been out here a while; I figured you might need it. Got something on your mind?”

She sighed. “I was just thinking back on the past few months, and I realised I haven’t been much of an Avatar. When they tried to kidnap Tae Xing back in Ba Sing Se, I ran. When they attacked Kyoshi Island, I ran. And when I faced Azula, I completely lost control! What have I actually accomplished? And how can I expect to go up against Azula and win?”

She felt Haeno gently put his arm around her, and leaned in, feeling the heat from his body warming her in a way no tea could. “I think you’re much more capable than you know, Niella. Remember when you first found out you were the Avatar? You were so scared and worried about whether or not you could do it. But you stood up and took the challenge on, anyway. You’ve become so strong and powerful in just a few months. Before your birthday, did you think you could do that?”

Niella shook her head. “No I thought I’d maybe continue to learn healing from my Mom, or maybe join up with Uncle Sokka’s forces as a waterbending soldier. Then maybe I’d get married one day, have kids.” She glanced over at him and blushed, determinedly switching her gaze to her shoes. It was too embarrassing to admit that she’d pictured him in her fantasies as her husband.

Haeno was silent for a while. Niella shifted anxiously, wondering if she shouldn’t have said anything. Then he took a deep breath and stood up, taking something out of his pocket. “I wanted to do this the day after you returned to the South, but you wound up leaving before I got the chance. So this may seem abrupt, but…”

He was holding a pendant similar to the one she’d inherited from her mother, only shaped like a raindrop with a single cresting wave carved onto its surface. Though betrothal necklaces were unique to the culture of the Northern Tribe, Niella recognised it right away.

“Haeno…”

“I know this is sudden, but… I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, since you first left to train in the Earth Kingdom. I liked you since we were kids, and when you confided to me about learning you were the Avatar, I only fell in love with you more. Not because of your status, but because of how you stood up and took on the challenge. When you were gone, you were all I could think about. So I have to ask you…” He got down on both knees, the necklace displayed in his two outstretched hands – the traditional position a man was to assume during a proposal. “Niella, will you marry me?”

If she hadn’t already been sitting down, Niella would have dropped to her knees as well. She hadn’t seen this coming at all, and had no idea what to say. Haeno dipped his head to face the ground, as he wasn’t to look at her until she answered, but she could see his hands beginning to shake with anxiety as she remained silent.

Eventually, she found her voice, but not her decision. “I… I don’t know,” she whispered, “I’m sorry, but I really don’t know. There’s just too much going on right now. I need some time to think about this.”

She couldn’t see his face, but the way his body sagged showed his disappointment. “…I see.” Slowly, he stood up, still not looking at her. “I’ll just…” He didn’t finish, instead trudging away.

“Haeno!” she called after him, but he didn’t turn around; he faltered in his step, but continued into one of the nearby tents.

Niella felt tears coming to her eyes, and wiped them away hurriedly. This had to be the worst time to be thinking about her love life. She was the Avatar, facing the responsibility of ending a war. She needed to figure out how to beat Azula, or all would likely be lost. That needed to be the sole focus of her attention.

* * *

Tae Xing refused to let go of her lover’s hand as they approached the throne room doors. She didn’t quite trust the guards escorting them through her father’s palace, afraid that they might try to separate the couple. Her other arm was wrapped defensively around her still-flat stomach, to protect their child. She and Quin hadn’t planned to broadcast their impending parenthood, not until they were certain where they stood with her father, but Kichona hadn’t been able to contain her excitement over her new baby cousin. There was no telling whether the news would reach the Earth King before they did, or what his reaction would be.

It had taken them a few days to return to Ba Sing Se. Upon arriving, General Beifong was escorted away to face one of her superiors and answer for her actions, leaving the young couple and the little girl with an escort of unfamiliar guards. Tae Xing had grown up being escorted by soldiers around the palace, and had been accustomed to it, but now their presence set her nerves on edge. She drew closer to Quin, taking care not to squish Kichona, who was between them, clinging onto the hem of his shirt.

They reached the doors far too soon for her liking. They swung open to reveal the near-empty throne room, with only a minimal number of guards and advisors present. His father was seated on his throne, looking angrier than she’d ever seen him, while her brother’s throne was empty. Tae Xing felt her heart sink, as Fu Kun had been the one person who might have helped her plead her case, other than General Beifong.

“I don’t even know where to start,” her father began, “You not only snuck out of the palace, but out of the city, you placed yourself in incredible danger, and you convinced an upstanding general to help you. This is all so unlike you, Tae Xing.” His glare moved to Quin and their joined hands. “And I don’t even know what _he_ has to do with all of this. Explain yourself.”

Tae Xing had spent the trip back figuring out what to say and had prepared herself for her father’s anger so she took a deep breath and spoke: “Father, all my life, I thought I had everything I wanted. Clothes, jewellery, servants waiting on me hand and foot. I had no idea what I was missing. When I was travelling with the Avatar, I saw so many families who were happy because they had each other, and I didn’t have that. I can’t remember a time when we spent time together like a real family, so how could I be happy here, especially when what I really wanted was outside these walls?” She put her arm around Quin, pulling him – and Kichona by default – closer. “Father, I… I am in love with Quin. I couldn’t stand the thought of him being on the other side of the country and not knowing whether he was alive or dead! I had to go to him.”

There. She’d said it. Now all she could do was wait, and hope and pray that her father would listen.

The Earth King was silent as he stared at them, apparently deep in thought. The couple grew more and more anxious as the silence drew on. Even Kichona tightened her grip on her uncle’s shirt and shrank closer to him.

“Tae Xing, come here.”

She hesitated, worried that the guards might take Quin and Kichona away if she separated from them. But her father did seem to be calmer than he’d been before she’d begun talking. Cautiously, she moved away from them and approached the King, until she was standing only a few feet away from his throne.

“Is this how you really feel?” There was an uncertainty in his tone that Tae Xing had never heard before.

“Yes, Father. It is.”

He gazed down sadly. “I’m sorry.”

For a second, she wondered if she heard correctly. “I- what?”

“I’m sorry. I’m your father, I should have noticed how unhappy you were. If I had, maybe all this drama wouldn’t have happened. As for this boy… Well, I need to know they’re sure about him.”

“I am, Father. I crossed the entire Earth Kingdom to be with him. I love him. And before you say anything about Wen Zheng, I already talked to him before I left. He’s also in love with someone else, and it’s just unfair to make us marry each other if we’re both against it.”

It was hardly proper etiquette, but she had to say it. She’d snuck out of the palace to escape that unwanted marriage, so proper etiquette wasn’t really your concern. Of course, as soon as she was finished saying it, she found herself desperately hoping she hadn’t just crossed a line.

To her relief, her father didn’t get angry. Instead, he surprised her by taking her hands and gently tugging her closer. “It is unfair, isn’t it? Alright, if you’re certain about this, I won’t stand in the way of her happiness.”

It took Tae Xing a second to process this. Then she did something she hadn’t done since she was a little girl, and flung her arms around him in a tearful hug. She had her father’s love, and a future with the man she loved.

* * *

Niella breathed in and out in short bursts as she sent fire towards a training dummy before making the earth crumble beneath another. Her water whip sliced through three at once while a gust of wind sent the pieces flying. She was in constant motion, not pausing for a second as she poured all her focus into her training.

That morning, they’d received a messenger hawk from the Fire Nation Capital, carrying a letter that told of Black Phoenix rebels marching on the city. Tomorrow, they would be sailing out to aid the defence effort. The letter also said that Azula would be there, so Niella had to be ready. She couldn’t afford to have this fight end like the last one. The _world_ couldn’t afford it.

She continued her intense training, even though her limbs had begun to shake and every breath had become like a dozen knives stabbing into her chest. It all rested on her; she had to keep going.

Rocks and water crashed to the ground as her control suddenly slipped. Fire blasts grew weaker until they ceased to exist. The winds died down as the bender controlling them collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.


	3. Spiritual Guidance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this is a little late; slept in and then had to go to work.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender or any of its characters.

“Niella.”

The voice seemed to echo around her, leaving her confused as to the direction of origin. Her surroundings were foggy, unfamiliar. But while she couldn’t place the where, she recognised the who.

“Aang?” she called, her own voice reverberating oddly through the mist, “Is that you? Where are you?” She received no answer. “Where am _I_ , for that matter?” she added to herself.

“The Spirit World.”

Niella practically jumped out of her skin and spun around to face the voice that had _definitely_ come from behind her.

Aang had a sort of playful smirk on his face as he took in the fighting stance she’d automatically assumed. “A little tense, are we?” Then his face softened. “Niella, what are you doing to yourself?”

“What do you mean? All I’ve been doing is training. I can’t beat Azula if I don’t get stronger, after all.”

“There’s a difference between training and overstraining yourself. Only one ends with you fainting out of exhaustion in the middle of it.”

“I… I’m fine, Aang. I just need to get better, stronger.”

Her past incarnation folded his arms. “Right now, you’re lying on the ground, passed out because you exhausted yourself. That’s not going to stop Azula. If you keep this up, you’ll be too much of a wreck to survive the first minute against her.”

“But what else am I supposed to do?!” she burst out, scared and frustrated, “How else am I supposed to beat her?! I’m only one person! She has an army!”

Aang’s face softened further. “So _that’s_ what this is about,” he murmured, “You’re worried about having to do it all alone. So was I, when I was getting ready to face her father. In the days leading up to the Day of Black Sun, I stressed myself out, between nightmares and constant training. Katara, Sokka, and Toph all did their best to help me, and what got me through it was knowing they’d have my back no matter what. Even when I was technically on my own when I fought Fire Lord Ozai, I knew they were handling Azula and the rest of his army for me. My point, Niella, is that I was never really alone, and neither are you.”

Suddenly, his form shimmered, and was replaced by that of an older man with long white hair and a beard, wearing long, red Fire Nation robes in an old-fashioned style.

“Wha-” Niella gasped, “Who-”

“I am Avatar Roku,” the man introduced himself, “I was the Avatar before Aang, and I spoke to him many times to advise him, just as he now does for you. You say you are but one person, but you have many past lives available to you for guidance. Even as one Avatar, you are not alone.”

Roku’s form shimmered just as Aang’s had, changing into that of a tall woman in garb that Niella was rather familiar with.

“You’re Avatar Kiyoshi!” she realised.

Kiyoshi gave her a small smile. “Yes, child, I am. Do you know why there is an island named for me?”

Niella thought back to the stories Aunt Suki had told her. “You… you created it, right? You separated it from the mainland of the Earth Kingdom to stop an invading warlord from taking over the territory.”

“Indeed. The village on what you know as Kiyoshi Island was my home. To prevent Chin the conqueror from invading, I used the Avatar State to detach the peninsula from the mainland and anchor it far from the Earth Kingdom’s shores. If I had the power to do that, you also have the power to defeat Azula.”

Then the person in front of her changed again, this time into a Water Tribe man in furs. “I am Avatar Kuruk. My lifetime was during a peaceful era, with no wars, but it did not come free of troubles. Whenever I had to mediate smaller disputes between villages and other bodies, I trusted the advice and wisdom given to me by my mentors. No one person has to do anything on their own, Niella. You have many friends and mentors who are ready to fight by your side. Don’t forget that.

When his form also started to shimmer, Niella honestly expected a fifth Avatar to appear, but instead, Kuruk vanished completely. She was all alone in the foggy space.

“Niella…”

Another voice called out to her, sounding much fainter.

“Niella…”

“Niella!”

“NIELLA!”

* * *

Niella woke with a start, snapping her eyes open. It didn’t take long for her vision to adjust and reveal Haeno’s face hovering worriedly over her. “Niella! Thank the Spirits!”

“Haeno?” She was surprised at how hoarse and weak her voice sounded.

“Just hang on. Aleikka’s getting your mom. You passed out while training.”

Right. Aang had told her that much. She was so tired she could barely lift her head, and every inch of her body seemed to ache. How had she not noticed that before?

“Niella!” Mom’s voice was full of fear as she approached at a run, with Aleikka, Uncle Sokka, and Aunt Suki at her heels. “Niella, baby, what happened?!” Her hands were already surrounded by glowing water by the time she reached them.

“I’m okay, Mom,” Niella tried to assure her, “I just… tired myself out without even realising it.”

Mom was running her hands up and down over Niella’s body anyway. “You need rest, young lady, and no arguments. I don’t want to see you even walking around until I’ve cleared you to, understand?”

Niella wasn’t certain if she even _could_ stand at all right now, let alone walk, so she nodded and said: “I understand, Mom.”

Haeno insisted on carrying her back to the guest house in which she was staying. As he and Mom were helping her into bed, Niella made a decision. “Mom, could you leave us alone for a minute?”

Her mother gave her a strange look, but left the room and shut the door behind her.

“Niella what-”

“Yes.”

“…Yes, what?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Haeno looked like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Indeed, he seemed to be stunned silent.

“I know I’ve been avoiding the whole subject… and just generally avoiding you… but I’ve realised that I’ve been so obsessed with fighting Azula and how tough beating her on my own will be, that I started cutting myself off from everyone. And that was stupid, because I’m going to need all the help I can get, and…” Okay, now she was rambling. She took a deep breath and got on to the important part. “Haeno, I love you. And if I want to get through this fight, I need something to look forward to. So my answer is yes. I’ll marry you.”

The look Haeno got on his face could have lit up the whole room.

* * *

Two weeks after Niella and Haeno’s engagement, they found themselves on the deck of a Water Tribe ship sailing into the harbour of the Fire Nation Capital. Even from there, they could see that the city’s walls had taken some damage. Upon disembarking, it became apparent that the city was on high alret; everywhere they looked they saw many soldiers and officers and very few civilians.

The Water Tribes’ warriors and Earth Kingdom soldiers were led up to the royal palace, though the bulk of them stayed outside while the ‘leaders’ of the new arrivals were escorted to the War Room, where Fire Lord Zuko was waiting. The monarch was in full battle dress in place of his formal robes, and he was talking seriously with his generals. Mai was standing silently by his side, also dressed for combat, her sharp grey eyes scrutinising the maps in front of her.

Zuko looked up upon their entry. “Good. You’re here. We could use some more help.”

Uncle Sokka and Mom immediately moved closer to the large map, and Niella followed them. “Where have they attacked so far?” Uncle Sokka asked, his strategist side immediately coming to the forefront.

“For the past eighteen days, Black Phoenix forces have been making small attacks at different points along the city walls. Mostly earthbenders and waterbenders. They attack long enough to draw our forces to that location, then they fall back. We can’t predict when or where they’ll strike next, and our soldiers are getting tired. We’ve had to confine our non-combatants into protective bunkers, but we can’t keep them there forever, and soon we’ll be running out of food and water. All of our trade routes appear to have been blocked by Black Phoenix forces.”

“Have they made any sort of big moves?”

Zuko sighed. “No, not yet. They’ve just had us running and tiring ourselves out.”

“They’ll strike eventually,” Mai stated, “Azula always liked to prey on the weak; once she’s decided our defences are exhausted enough, she’ll attack.”

* * *

The Fire Lady’s prediction was more accurate than she wanted it to be. Even as the Avatar and her family and allies were entering the Fire Lord’s palace, a loyal messenger of the Black Phoenix Society was racing to tell the _true_ Fire Lord the news.

When she learned of the Avatar’s arrival, Azula smirked and stood up from her temporary throne. That little brat had decimated their numbers by taking their hostages at Chin City. Many agents whose family members had been held there had deserted upon hearing the news. Thankfully, they had a second prison camp, so those agents whose loved ones were there had remained. But that didn’t mean that the loss would go unavenged.

“Excellent,” Azula purred, “Now that she’s here, we can make our attack.”

“B-but Your Highness,” one of her lieutenants stammered, “Wouldn’t it have been better to take the Capital _before_ she and the reinforcements arrived?”

His insubordination was immediately met by a short burst of blue flame that hit him in the chest. It didn’t kill him, but it did knock him down and cause him incredible pain. “You fool! The Avatar must pay for humiliating us at Chin!” She turned to the other lieutenants, who all flinched. “Prepare the troops for battle. We strike tomorrow at dawn.”


	4. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this is a week late, but there's just one short epilogue left, and then this entire series will be COMPLETE. It gives me great satisfaction to finally mark another series as being finished.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar or any of its characters.

Niella didn’t sleep for very long, much to everyone’s chagrin. She’d recovered from her exhaustion over the past two weeks, while the soldiers guarding the city had been running themselves ragged keeping up with the sporadic attacks and needed a break.

So that was how Niella found herself atop a guard tower before dawn, trying to avoid gazing at the lightening sky and focus on the land beyond the walls. Water Tribe warriors and benders helped patrol the tops of the walls while Earthbending soldiers made rounds on the outside, particularly those who’d been taught by General Bei Fong herself to sense movement within the earth. Azula’s own Earthbenders had, according to reports, been tunneling themselves and their fellow agents up close to the walls during their hit-and-run attacks. Hopefully now they’d be able to ‘see’ them coming.

“You’re up early.”

Niella jumped slightly, turning to see her fiancé approaching, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted, “Figured I might as well make myself useful while I’m up.” She rolled her eyes. “This isn’t me stressing and overtraining myself, Haeno, I’m fine.”

He stood next to her, close enough that their sides brushed, and smiled as she leaned into him. “You can’t blame me for worrying. Not after that night.” He sighed, the first rays of dawn beginning to illuminate his face. “You scared the hell out of us.”

She took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. “I’m sorry. I was just so stressed and worried about how I was going to win against Azula that I lost sight of everything else. But I promise I won’t do it again. Besides, this will all be over soon.”

“How do you know that?”

“It’s just a feeling. The last big fight is coming soon.”

A shout from below drew their attention to a group of soldiers who were pointing at something off in the distance. Niella and Haeno ran to another side of the guard tower to get a better view of what they were looking at.

Many flickering lights and a large cloud of dust were gathering on the northern horizon, and Niella was fairly certain that they were rapidly getting closer. Even a faint rumbling sound could be heard over the increasing shouts of the city’s defenders.

“…I didn’t think it would be _this_ soon.”

The invasion had begun.

* * *

When Azula’s army came within striking distance of the city walls, the defenders had just managed to get into position in time. The Waterbenders and Earthbenders made up the front lines, providing a buffer for the Firebenders who’d been going without proper sleep but couldn’t afford to sit this one out. The third line consisted of non-bending melee fighters of all nations. Catapults and archers lined the tops of the walls and guard towers.

At the front of it all stood the Fire Lord and Lady, unwilling to sit back and let others do their fighting for them, and Niella and her family. Haeno, Uncle Sokka, and Aunt Suki were armed for platypus-bear with numerous weapons, Mom had her hand hovering over her open water container, and Niella was poised similarly, though she was also prepared to launch fire, stone, or wind at a moment’s notice. Fire Lady Mai, she knew, had all sorts of darts and throwing knives on her person, and Fire Lord Zuko’s broadswords were already in hand.

As the Black Phoenix group came closer, their dark red armour clanking ominously, Azula was spotted at the back of their formation, blue flames already covering her hands. With a cackle that could be heard even over the rumble of the Earthbending platforms they’d used to approach so quickly, she threw a jet of blue fire in the air as a signal to her army.

Then chaos erupted.

Niella’s surroundings instantly became filled with a cacophony of sound. The crackle of flames, the gushing of water the crunching of stone, the clashing of metal on metal. Yells of triumph, of anger, of pain.

The air became saturated with the smells of smoke, dust, sweat, and blood.

All around her, people were fighting and scrambling. The defenders knew there were innocents in the Black Phoenix army, but had no time to discern who was who, so they fought to kill or be killed. It was chaos; you couldn’t afford to focus on one particular direction, as the clashing armies had mixed so that an enemy could come at you from any direction. People were getting burned, bashed by rocks, impaled by blades and by ice.

Niella pushed her way through the mayhem, using all the elements she had at her disposal to stop anyone coming at her or her family, and searching the mess for one person in particular.

By the time she spotted Azula, the ex-princess was already locked in combat with her brother. Silver blades and orange flames met blue ones in a terrifying dance that would have left the spectator entranced if it weren’t for the rest of the chaos posing a constant danger to anyone caught unawares.

Niella was hesitant to get involved in their duel, but then one enemy Firebender, who obviously didn’t have the same reservations, tried to take advantage of the Fire Lord’s distraction and get in a cheap shot from behind. It didn’t work out well for him, as Zuko turned just in time to block the fire blast and return one of his own, but it allowed Azula to catch him in the back with a fire-powered kick. “Goodbye, Zuzu.”

The young Avatar charged forward, hurling a half-dozen stones at her. Much to her surprise, Azula was able to dodge all of them, if only just, and responded with a jet of flame. Niella desperately threw up a water shield just in time.

“Avatar,” Azula growled as she recognised her, “Your life is MINE!” Forgetting all about her brother, she launched herself at Niella, her hands and feet wreathed in blue flames.

An outsider could almost be forgiven for stopping in the middle of their own fight to stare at this one. Azula was _fast_ , and it was all Niella could do to keep up. Even with all four elements on her side, the older woman had more than two decades’ worth of experience over her, and her insanity made her movements unpredictable. Niella could barely find any time to breathe between defending against Azula’s attacks and attempting to make strikes of her own. She didn’t notice that the sounds of battle around the pair quieted, as those nearest them paused to watch.

She ducked under a flaming kick and slammed her hand into the ground, causing an earthen spike to erupt under her opponent. Azula was sent flying through the air, but continued to fire a volley of fireballs that had Niella ducking for cover. She landed on her feet and prepared to fire a lightning bolt.

Niella tensed. She hadn’t been taught how to redirect lightning yet. Aang had focused on Airbending in their dream lessons, and she hadn’t yet reached that level in her Firebending lessons. She would have to resort to either blocking or dodging.

A yell came from behind her, as a Black Phoenix Firebender charged. Niella reacted automatically, throwing him away with an Airbending blast. But her distraction would prove to cost her dearly.

“NIELLA!”

She turned back to face in Azula’s direction again, only to realise with a thrill of horror that someone had stepped in between them. She had turned just in time to see the bright flash of lightning, to see Haeno’s body fly backwards and land, writhing in pain, at her feet.

Niella wanted to scream his name, to beg him to be alright, but she couldn’t even breathe. She forgot all about her surroundings and dropped to her knees next to fiancé, grasping his limp hand. This couldn’t be happening. Haeno was the future she’d been looking forward to, after this war. He couldn’t be dying.

“Haeno,” she finally managed to choke out, “Haeno, please. Please open your eyes. Don’t leave me.”

A pair of hands gently but firmly gripped her shoulders. Mom pulled Niella back slightly as a male healer from the North, whose name Niella could not recall, got to work tending to Haeno.

“This can’t- I can’t lose him, Mom,” Niella whispered, clinging to her mother.

“Cansu’s doing the best he can,” Mom assured her.

Tearing her eyes away from her dying fiancé, Niella looked around at the battlefield surrounding them. Soldiers from both sides were scattered on the ground, dead or wounded. Fighters continued to clash in small skirmishes. But the centrepiece of it all was the five warriors going at it close by. Uncle Sokka, Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Lady Mai, and Aunt Suki were fighting four-on-one against Azula, doing one better than Niella had and actually putting the insane warmonger on the defensive from time to time. Azula had her hands full dealing with the four of them, but was still trying to reach Niella and her group.

Rage slowly began to replace the mind-numbing sorrow in her heart. She thought of Quin’s family, of the people held hostage, of the loved ones who had died for a cause they didn’t even believe in. That woman had all their blood on her hands. Someone had to stop her.

Niella felt the power growing inside of her. Giving Haeno’s hand one last squeeze, she stood, barely hearing her mother’s worried questions. The winds around her picked up as she fixed her glowing eyes on Azula. But something was wrong. As she lifted up in the air and shot forward, Niella realised that she wasn’t in control of her own body, just as it had been the last time she’d entered the Avatar State. Now the rage was being overshadowed by fear. She couldn’t afford to lose control again.

 _‘No,’_ she told herself, _‘I have to be stronger than this. I **am** stronger than this.’_

Looking through her own eyes, she saw herself about to create a huge shockwave throughout the ground that would put her family in danger. No. She would _not_ let that happen. Focusing all her willpower, she reasserted her control and changed tactics, creating a localised sinkhole beneath Azula. Her enemy disappeared into it, but came rocketing back out seconds later with the use of twin fire blasts.

But Niella had a plan in mind. All of Azula’s Waterbenders suddenly found their own water weapons leaving them, obeying her superior power. The huge mass of liquid she’d commandeered pursued Azula relentlessly, multiple tendrils snatching and closing in around her. As powerful as she was, even Azula could not keep going fast enough to avoid them all. One tendril wrapped around her waist and drew her into the mass, which crashed back down to the ground.

The insane ex-princess was then sucked into the ground so that she was trapped from her chest down, her arms pinned to her sides. Azula tried to breathe fire at the approaching Avatar, but Niella batted it aside easily.

“Azula, Daughter of Ozai, you have upset the balance of this world.” The multi-toned voice echoed across the battlefield. “Like your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, your crimes have inflicted unforgivable damage.”

Aang’s knowledge of the technique flowed into her as she pressed one hand onto Azula’s forehead, and another on her chest. She could feel the mad woman’s energy, dark and twisted and tormented, writhing inside her. As the connection was made, it began to try and flow into her. Niella’s worst memories flashed before her eyes, everything that made her even the slightest bit angry bubbling to the surface.

But the weight of her betrothal necklace resting on her throat helped her remember that she was loved, that she had more than anger and fear in her life. All those feelings pushed the energy from Azula back, and she found what she was looking for: the threat of energy that connected Azula to her Firebending. Mentally, she reached out and plucked at it, disrupting the connection and cutting off Azula’s access to her natural-born abilities.

Finished, she pulled away, feeling the power of the Avatar State seep out of her as Azula lay, limp and defeated, at her feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, sorry this is late, but the epilogue is coming in only one week, and then I can finally put the Avatar Niella series to rest.


	5. One Year Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is. After nearly eight years, the Avatar Niella series has come to its conclusion. It feels both sad and satisfying to say it. Thanks to all who've reviewed, favourited, and followed these stories during this time.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

A little over a year had passed since Azula was stripped of her bending, and the Siege of the Fire Capital was put to an end. Various agents of the Black Phoenix Society who’d been forced into its ranks had been more than willing to help identify and capture the true believers. Long Feng and Xin Fu, both of whom had gone into hiding after their failure to capture Tae Xing, were caught and placed in floating wooden prisons off the shores of the Earth Kingdom. Jin had been overjoyed to reunite with her son, all the while tearfully thanking the Avatar and her allies while simultaneously apologising.

A number of Fire Nation nobles who had been found to have financed some of Azula’s operations were also jailed, their assets seized until their heirs proved themselves trustworthy. This seemed to cripple any other dissenters against Fire Lord Zuko’s rule, but no one was stupid enough to think that there wouldn’t be any more problems.

Ty Lee would have some interesting scars for the rest of her life, but was recuperating well. Her natural cheerfulness and optimism remained intact, though, and brightened the spirits of everyone around her, bringing hope to the others who were also still healing.

Several months after the battle, Tae Xing and Quin got a surprise when she gave birth to twins, a son they named Jang Tsu and a daughter named Xiu Lin. The twins’ grandfather absolutely adored them, even when Xiu Lin sneezed fire in his face.

As for Niella, she was kept very busy. She traveled around with her family, visiting villages that had been attacked by Azula’s people, helping the survivors rebuild. Meetings with local dignities were a necessary, but boring, part of that, but she much preferred the hands-on work, assisting with the actual construction. After many months of this, she returned home and began to make her own preparations.

Now, she found herself walking down a long aisle with her uncle, dressed in the finest silks and furs she had ever touched. All the village residents were in attendance, as were the friends she’d made on her adventures.

Thanks to some Spirit Oasis water supplied by the Northern Tribe Healer Cansu, Haeno had made a full recovery. It had been difficult for a while, but they were able to arrange the ceremony for midwinter, shortly after Niella’s eighteenth birthday.

Haeno was beaming with utter joy when his eyes alighted upon her, and she knew she was doing the same. His hands were shaking but warm when Uncle Sokka placed hers in them.

When they finally kissed as husband and wife, Niella found herself entering a state of utter bliss. It had been a hard two years for them, but, as the snow softly began to fall over the ceremony, they finally had their happy ending.

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, maybe the end is cheesy and fluffy, but I hope I've tied up all loose ends with this chapter.
> 
> Spectre, out.


End file.
